she was only a teenager when tb joshua recruited her as one of his closest followers.old me about the circumstances that led to her meeting tbjoshua. my life was a living hell, i was constantly living in fear, always afraid, because that is how he trained, brainwashed all of us to believe that we could not do anything without his command. we could not think without him so it was a master and servant type of relationship that we all had in the church. my experience was so overwhelming because the moment i came to the church it was as if they threw me in the deep end of the sea. so i was working in the office and it was hard and food was also a problem. we were made to believe that that was how people used to live in the bible days so who are we to complain? what about your relationship with tbjoshua himself, what was that like? very scary relationship. very unsettling because he behaved like a master, like a lord over me. and i was constantly in fear. it was a very horrifying type of relationship, very confusing as well because the same person who is raping you is the s

taste inside tb joshua's compound in niceria. ~ ., nigeria.t we were in heaven but we were _ nigeria. we thought we were in heaven but we were in - nigeria. we thought we were in heaven but we were in hell- nigeria. we thought we were in heaven but we were in hell and| nigeria. we thought we were in l heaven but we were in hell and in hell, terrible things happen. rae is one of the dozens _ hell, terrible things happen. rae is one of the dozens of _ hell, terrible things happen. rae is one of the dozens of former - hell, terrible things happen. rae is. one of the dozens of former insiders who allege tbjoshua repeatedly assaulted, raped and tortured women in his compound, with the most recent incidents in 2019. rape became like — recent incidents in 2019. rape became like a _ recent incidents in 2019. rape became like a normal- recent incidents in 2019. rape became like a normal terrifying thing — became like a normal terrifying thing. that he would do. it's like you are — thing. that he would do. it's like you are an— thing. that he would do.

they did not respond to them, but they said previous claims against tb joshua have been unfounded. online platforms. some people, they are still living in fear for their lives, in fear for the retribution that will come if they do open their mouths. peter murimi, bbc news. we can speak to the director of programmes at a human rights organisation. thanks forjoining us. very distressing details in the report and i wanted to get your reaction? . ~ report and i wanted to get your reaction? ., ~ , ., ., �* ., reaction? thank you, and i'm glad we're having _ reaction? thank you, and i'm glad we're having this _ reaction? thank you, and i'm glad we're having this conversation i reaction? thank you, and i'm gladl we're having this conversation and thatis we're having this conversation and that is because first we must acknowledge when it comes to religion, there is a lot of sensitivities around those conversations but one thing the investigative reporter has highlighted is the fact that we cannot sacrifice the demand for accountability on the altar of sensitivities around religion and if y

jessica was only a teenager when tb joshua recruited her as one of his closest followers.hejoins me now. thank you forjoining us, jessica. for being brave enough to speak to the bbc about your experiences. can you tell me, you were so young, just a teenager when you joined the church, what drew you to it? well, i was suicidal. _ church, what drew you to it? well, i was suicidal, growing _ church, what drew you to it? well, i was suicidal, growing up _ church, what drew you to it? well, i was suicidal, growing up as - church, what drew you to it? well, i was suicidal, growing up as a - was suicidal, growing up as a teenager and because i had a church background already. my grandfather was a pastor and i grew up in church so automatically to go to place and the solution, a place of solution would be a church and my parents stumbled upon a television station and, their tv station, and that is how we ended up in nigeria. you became one _ how we ended up in nigeria. you became one of _ how we ended up in nigeria. you became one of tb _ how we ended up in nigeria. you became one

pastor tb joshua, everyone here in the stadium...g them was 21—year—old rae. mr; healings. among them was 21-year-old rae. ~ , ., , healings. among them was 21-year-old rae. g . , ., ., healings. among them was 21-year-old rae. g . , . . ., rae. my name is rachel and i am from the uk. rae. my name is rachel and i am from the uk- rae — rae. my name is rachel and i am from the uk- rae was _ rae. my name is rachel and i am from the uk. rae was beginning _ rae. my name is rachel and i am from the uk. rae was beginning university l the uk. rae was beginning university in briahton the uk. rae was beginning university in brighton when _ the uk. rae was beginning university in brighton when she _ the uk. rae was beginning university in brighton when she was _ the uk. rae was beginning university in brighton when she was introduced | in brighton when she was introduced to the church. in brighton when she was introduced to the church-— to the church. when i was 12 i realised l— to the church. when i was 12 i realised i was _ to the church. whe

they did not respond to them, but they said previous claims against tb joshua have been unfounded.to its online platforms. some people, they are still living in fear for their lives, in fear for the retribution that will come if they do open their mouths. peter murimi, bbc news. you can watch disciples: the cult of tbjoshua on the bbc africa youtube channel and listen to the new season of world of secrets wherever you get your bbc podcasts. the first american space mission for more than half a century aimed at making a landing on the moon has run into an early technical hitch. the peregrine one robot lander was launched earlier today but has been unable to point its solar panels at the sun. the company behind the project, astrobotic, says it's trying to fix the problem, but if it can't, the mission won't be able to proceed. our science correspondentjonathan amos our science correspondent jonathan amos gave our science correspondentjonathan amos gave us the latest. we had a picture perfect launch this morning and the craft on top of the new vulcan rocket left cape canaveral in flori

they did not respond to them, but they said previous claims against tb joshua have been unfounded.ople, they are still living in fear for their lives, in fear for the retribution that will come if they do open their mouths. peter murimi, bbc news. you can watch disciples: the cult of tbjoshua on the bbc africa youtube channel and listen to the new season of world of secrets wherever you get your bbc podcasts. later in the hour i will be speaking tojessica, you stop there. she has an absolutely remarkable story and i will be talking to her shortly. to the us now where severe weather warnings are in place for millions after multiple storms hit across the country. heavy snow and rain hit the north east of the country over the weekend, with some places got over 30cm of snow whilst power outages and road closures were reported as far south as north carolina and as far west as califoria. for more on this i'm joined by cbs correspondent astrid martinez. just update us on what is happening. lucy, good afternoon. millions of americans are taking out from the first major snowstorm of the sea

youtube has terminated the official channel of disgraced nigerian televangelist tb joshua's megachurchlicies. it comes weeks after an investigation by the bbc and opendemocracy focused on allegations of widespread sexual abuse and torture by the late preacher. emmanuel tv played a key role in his rise from local pastor to global star. it had more than half a million followers on youtube and hundreds of millions of views. the church has not commented on the removal, but has said previous allegations of wrongdoing have been "unfounded". the sesame street character elmo has become the internet�*s therapist... after posing a casual question on x — formerly known as twitter — asking how is everybody doing? that was enough to prompt thousands of people to unload their woes on elmo, saying they weren't ok at all. our reporter, courtney bembridge, has more from the newsroom. it's a simple question, but it's hit a nerve online. almost 180 million people have seen this post on x from elmo, and thousands of users have unleashed their grief and despair on the small red muppet, as the new york time

tb joshua's closest followers were known as disciples, and lived together for years inside his compoundut we were in hell, and in hell terrible things happen. dozens of these insiders alleged that the pastor repeatedly assaulted, raped and tortured women behind closed doors, with the most recent incidents in 2019. it became so robotic. i disconnected from my body. i just became like... ..a puppet. rape became like a normal, terrifying thing that you would do. it's like you are an animal being slaughtered. i was 17 years old. he would be calling girls in one after the other. . i stayed here almost 14 years. they will be in thousands. some women claim they were forced to have abortions inside his compound following the alleged assaults. i had three abortions at synagogue. and from speaking to other women, i'm not the only one. women that he rapes, he forces them into abortion. i never had a choice whether i could keep a potential child or not. people tried to speak up to expose him, but nobody would listen. tbjoshua died in 2021. his wife, evelyn, is now leading the synagogue church of al

tb joshua's closest followers were known as disciples, and lived together for years inside his compound thought we were in heaven, but we were in hell, and in hell terrible things happen. dozens of these insiders alleged that the pastor repeatedly assaulted, raped and tortured women behind closed doors, with the most recent incidents in 2019. it became so robotic. i disconnected from my body. i just became like... ..a puppet. rape became like a normal, terrifying thing that he would do. it's like you are an animal being slaughtered. i was 17 years old. he would be calling girls in one after the other. . i stayed here almost 14 years. they will be in thousands. some women claim they were forced to have abortions inside his compound following the alleged assaults. i had three abortions at synagogue. and from speaking to other women, i'm not the only one. women that he rapes, he forces them into abortion. i never had a choice whether i could keep a potential child or not. people tried to speak up to expose him, but nobody would listen. tbjoshua died in 2021. his wife, evelyn, is now leadin

the nigerian televangelist tb joshua was one of the most powerful religious figures of the early 21stdeath, in 2121, joshua, who claimed to have cured all manner of illness in televised healings, lived with more than a hundred disciples inside a secretive compound in lagos. now, bbc africa eye has uncovered evidence of rape, torture and forced abortions, with alleged victims from all over the world, including the uk. this is the first time that the truth is being heard from the heart of this organisation. it looked helpful. it looked loving, not knowing that behind that was a sadist, a psychopath. the god i was introduced to is evil. he's diabolic because this is the same god that i would sleep with us. this is the same god i that would beat us up. this is the same god - that would beat us up. that would manipulate us. he was all over the world. open your life. share your testimony. the people i saw in- the videos, they were real. theirailments, their- sicknesses, their suffering was evidentially real. and then there were these incredible documented healings. _ we saw live testimonies